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12

Oct 12

Our pacers complement each other: Mahela

DD skipper says his pace attack led by Morne Morkel will be crucial in CLT20

The Delhi Daredevils were a force to reckon
with in IPL 2012 with their power-packed batting line-up and young, fiery pace
attack. Given the balance of their team, they’re one of the main contenders in CLT20
2012, in South African conditions. While their core group that helped them top
the IPL 2012 table is intact, there’s a change in leadership for this
tournament.

Mahela Jayawardene, who recently stepped
down from Sri Lanka’s T20 captaincy after the defeat in the final of 2012 World
Twenty20, has taken over the Daredevils’ reins from Virender Sehwag.

Ahead of their first match of the
tournament, against the Kolkata Knight Riders, Jayawardene said, the CLT20 will
help him to move on from the World T20 loss to West Indies.

“It’s good that I’m back into the thick of
things quickly, with a different set of players. It took me a couple of days to
get over the World Twenty20 loss, but since the time I’ve been here, it’s been
good.

Besides DD’s top order comprising Sehwag,
Jayawardene, Kevin Pietersen and David Warner, the team’s USP in the IPL was
their fast bowling led by the tournament’s highest wicket-taker, Morne Morkel.
When asked about the secret behind Morkel’s success with the Daredevils,
Jayawardene said, “In IPL he had a good start. For us he becomes the leader of
the attack and I don’t know if that sense of added responsibility drives him to
be more aggressive while having a good control. We, at DD, have given him a
very free hand to be aggressive and go for wickets.”

He also had words of praise for Irfan
Pathan and termed him as “the most improved bowler in the last year or so, both
in domestic and international cricket.”

While admitting Morkel will play a huge
role in his home conditions, Jayawardene refused to put too much pressure on
him.

“I think everyone complements each other
very well. Umesh Yadav has played a bit of cricket and Irfan has been around
for a while. They all feed off each other. We’d rather go about as a bowling
group and batting group rather than put pressure on one guy.”

The captain also had good words to say
about the man he’s replacing at the helm, Virender Sehwag. “Viru is a very
easygoing guy; I’ve known him for quite some time. He enjoys his cricket. He
takes a bit of criticism for the way he bats but that’s the nature of the
beast. That’s how he plays and we want him to continue to do that. He’s had a
tough time in the last couple of years with injuries and stuff. But we know the
quality of the player and you back him to deliver that. In the dressing room
too, he’s brilliant. He’s really helpful to the young guys in the team and they
all look up to him.”

Open Questions

Who is the better T20 bowler?

Pulse connects you to the live action

Get closer to CLT20 this season by using Pulse while you watch the LIVE matches. Pulse asks you a range of questions relevant to the LIVE action as it unfolds. Your votes will be featured in the telecast in real-time and debated by the commentators, players and stars.